August 2016

Who said the summer season is a slow time for the Twin Cities real estate market? With August now coming to a close, home prices in St. Paul and the surrounding area area up, homes are selling faster, and inventory remains low as we head into the fall market.

According to recently released data from the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®, home buyers have signed 3.1% fewer purchase agreements in July compared to July of 2015, which is largely related to fewer homes being on the market and available to buy. In fact, new listings also dropped 5.5% year-over-year in July, but on the flip side, home sellers in the Twin Cities are receiving 98.4% of their original list price due to the limited inventory and strong demand for housing in our market.

Yes, the summer season is quickly coming to a close and the brisk chill of fall will be here before we know it here in St. Paul. But there’s still plenty of great ways to get out and enjoy yourself this September in and around St. Paul, from traditional celebrations to events racing in the start of NHL season. Have a look at some of the things we're looking forward to most this month below...

St. Paul Oktoberfest- September 16-18

Get ready to polka during the annual Saint Paul Oktoberfest, kicking off September 16 though 18 in downtown’s Rice Park. The event features plenty of German food, washed down with Oktoberfest ales made by local brewers. Visitors are sure to enjoy the live music and dance, along with the annual bed races for charity and

Before you put your home on the market it’s important to ensure not only your home is in great shape, but also that prospective buyers can easily see all of the great qualities that first attracted you to the home. That’s why you’ll want to de-clutter, temporarily moving out some of the items that you may hold dear, but may be drawing attention away from the home you want to sell.

Start by doing a quick walk-through, envisioning yourself as the buyer. Look for things that take up a lot of space and may be giving the impression that a room is smaller than it really is. If you have a lot of personal pictures on the wall, consider taking them down and just leaving up a few tasteful designs.